The Earth
© JSC/NAS
The Earth
In an elliptical orbit like Earth's, there are two terms to describe the nearest and farthest you can be from the Sun — perihelion and aphelion, respectively. Perihelion typically occurs around this time of year, while aphelion usually occurs in early July. Even though we're closer to the Sun now, we're only receiving about 7% more solar energy than normal, which doesn’t really have much impact on the weather.
The distance between the Earth and Moon varies, but scientists calculate the lunar distance as 384,400 kilometres. The Moon also drifts away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 centimetres per year, and scientists believe that a lunar orbit will eventually take 47 days.
Related Images
Aerial of pink salt lake in Lochiel, South Australia
NASA astronaut works on the International Space Station during a spacewalk in 2006
An aerial view of Daxing International Airport in Beijing
Blue-and-yellow macaws flying over the Amazon, Brazil
Bear Glacier Lake in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey
Airplanes inside the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington
Sunset over the Pacific from the International Space Station
Today on Bing
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Jan 04, 2024
Burrowing parrots in Las Lajas, Argentina
Jan 04, 2020
